“You swore to me the time you had sex with her was a mistake. You said that she’d been flirting with you and you gave in to temptation, and I believed you! I’m not stupid. I could see how young and beautiful she was and how you looked at her but that was just temptation. It was just sex. It was me you were in love with. Me and you forever, that’s what you told me. Everything I ever did, I did for you.”

“I do love you,” he reassured her, like you would a child. “I’ve always loved you.”

“Shut up,” she screamed, waving the knife wildly. The police hovered expectantly but seemed less inclined to engage now that Em was safe. Her mum was unhinged, and they were obviously nervous about intervening until she’d said her piece.

“It’s lies all of it. I heard you when O’Connell came over. But I thought you wouldn’t have stayed after Emily left if you didn’t love me. So I drove you here because you said we were saying good-bye. Going somewhere to start a new life. I waited in the car like you told me to. I’ve always done everything you’ve ever told me to. But you brought her with you. It wasn’t me you wanted to start a new life with, it was her.”

She was as fucked-up and obsessive about Frank as he was about Em. The pair of them fucking deserved each other.

“Did you ever love me, Mum?” Emily asked. Her mum turned with a jolt to face her, and it was almost like she’d forgotten Em was there.

“Of course I loved you,” she replied. “I struggled when you were born for a long time. They call it post-natal depression now, but your dad took care of you when I couldn’t. By the time I started to feel better, you and he had a bond I couldn’t share. Maybe I shouldn’t have let Frank knock you around as much as much as I did, but you don’t understand how much I needed him. I couldn’t risk losing him, and when you found O’Connell, I saw a chance for me to have it all. I could be your mum again and still keep Frank. I know that you were upset when I lied in court but I knew you’d be okay. You had O’Connell to look after you.”

“Oh Mum, why didn’t you choose me? I needed you so badly when dad died. You let Frank beat and rape me and then let him get away with it. How could you?”

“You never needed me, Emily. And you never will now. I just want what you two have together. Is that too much to ask?” she looked at us both longingly but I felt nothing but revulsion.

“We do have that,” Frank told her. “We can still have it.”

“No, Frank. I can see what you really want now. It’s too late for me, and I know Emily won’t ever be able to forgive me, but at least I can do this one last thing for her.”

“Don’t do anything stupid. Now put the fucking knife down,” Frank shouted angrily.

Chapter 24

“Two twenty-three Brecan Road, Canning Town,” her mum told Em.

“Margaret, no!” screamed Frank. I frowned, having no idea what she was talking about.

“It’s the flat he took Em to. He wanted somewhere close to you, I guess. He rents it under my maiden name. He’s been running a scam with some of his mates from the police there. They skim evidence from drug busts and seizures. Frank fences it through his probation clients.”

“You stupid fucking bitch. After everything I’ve fucking done for you, you fucking betray me now?” he said, and she recoiled slightly.

“After everything you’ve done for me? You don’t scare me, Frank. What have done that was so great?” she asked.

“You think anyone else would have stuck with you as many years as I have? You were always fucking jealous of Emily. You’re right, it was always her.”

With a wild animalist scream like nothing I’ve ever heard before, Margaret pulled her arms up over her head and plunged her knife into Frank’s chest as a shot from one of the police officers cracked and echoed in the open space.

We all jumped as we watched Frank drop to the ground with Margaret on top of him, a crimson bloodstain spreading quickly across her shoulder. I turned Em away so that she didn’t have to see any more and carried her up the stairs back to Nikki’s flat.

* * *

When we got there, Nikki sat on her bed rubbing her jaw as though she were still in pain, with Kieran beside her.

“It’s done?” he asked, and I nodded.

“What happened?” Nikki asked.

“Frank used Em’s mum to trick you into opening the door and he knocked you out,” I told her.

“I remember that bit, thanks,” Nikki replied sarcastically. “I meant, what happened after?”

“He took Em at knifepoint. Em’s mum heard Frank talking about how he’d always wanted Em. Her mum lost it and knifed him in the chest.”

“You’re very verbose, you know that, Con? And you have a real gift for storytelling.” I frowned at her fucking sarcasm. I told her what happened. What? Did she need me to describe it in Technicolor?

“I’m sorry, Con,” she said at my frown. “I’m tired, my head hurts, and I’m feeling a bit testy.” With everything Nikki had done, I had no reason to be pissed at a little sarcasm.

“It’s okay,” I told her. “I’m sorry for what Frank did to you. It wasn’t fair of me to leave Em here and assume you’d be safe. That’s on me,” I told her. She shook her head no, but I knew it was the truth. “I need to get Em out of here,” I told Kier.

“There’s no way the police will let you go without taking your statements,” Nikki warned me. I desperately wanted to get Em alone and help her process some of this shit. She hadn’t spoken to me since it happened, and I had a horrible feeling she was going into shock.

“Take Lauren’s bed,” Nikki told me pointing to the bed opposite hers. “We’ll explain to the police that you want a little time to make sure Em’s okay. Maybe they’ll let us give our statements first.”

“Thanks, Nikki. I appreciate it,” I told her as she stood up.

As I laid Em down, she started shaking. “It’s okay, baby girl. It’s all over now. You’re safe, I promise. Everything’s gonna be okay.” I gathered her in close and grabbed a throw blanket from the bottom of the bed to keep her warm. Fuck knows if I was doing the right thing for shock but I had to do something. I rubbed her arms vigorously while holding her as close as I could without crushing her. I was really starting to get worried when she finally spoke to me.